international strategic partnerships: a tool to advance ...€¦ · international strategic...

International Strategic

Partnerships: A Tool to

Advance Internationalization

Christopher Medalis, PhD

International Education Expert and Advisor

New York City, USA

Internationalization of Higher Education Conference

Tempus Public Foundation

Budapest, Hungary

June 5, 2019

Partnerships

6/5/19Christopher Medalis, PhD

International Strategic Partnerships


Current Trends and Best Practices

in International

Partnership Development

Internationalization Goals:

Wide-Ranging and Macro-Level

National and Societal Goals:

To develop globally competitive, culturally competent leaders

and workforce within a nation

To advance science and scholarship

To serve the international needs and interests of surrounding

communities

To assist in the spread of markets, spheres of influence

Christopher Medalis, PhD 6/5/19



National and Societal Goals:

To advance national diplomacy and security

To address problems that are global in scope

To contribute to international understanding and peace-building

To contribute to nation-building

To develop capacity in the Global South




Institutional Goals:

To prepare all students for globalized lives and professions

To keep research and scholarship cutting edge

To build/enhance the institution and its programs

To engage in new forms of knowledge construction

To spread international teaching, research, and engagement across

all disciplines

To spread the reach/impact of the institution

To diversify the student body




Institutional Goals:

To generate revenue

To market programs overseas

To advance institutional ranking, both at home and globally

To position the institution in the emerging global system of

higher education

To develop global citizenship for both students and institution


Christopher Medalis, PhD6/5/19

Modern

universities

are not

“Ivory Towers”

Result:

As the goals of internationalization have

broadened, partnerships have become

increasingly important



Partnerships in Higher Education


ACE 2012 Survey: 90% U.S. doctoral and 50%

baccalaureate institutions greatly increased

partnership activity over last 5 years

IAU 2014 Survey: 75% of institutions worldwide

increased funding for exchange and research

collaboration over last 3 years

EAIE 2015 Barometer: 79% of institutions see

partnerships as a central feature of internationalization


Growth in Importance of Partnerships

6/5/19


Growth in Importance of Partnerships

6/5/19Source: EAIE Barometer 2018

Rationale for Partnerships

Viewed as essential for student learning, scholarly research, and

global advancement of higher education

Central to an institution extending outward, becoming known,

positioning itself

Performing new roles and functions for and at the university

Reaching out to new partners, both at home and abroad

No longer just bottom-up process

Focus of deliberate, intentional, long-term strategic planning


Benefits of Partnerships

We can accomplish more together than any single institution

can accomplish

Provide access to unique resources: laboratories, libraries,

other research facilities, research subjects and environments,

academics or other experts, student populations, etc.

Leverages existing resources at both institutions

Can attract and enable external funding


Benefits of Partnerships

Brings all perspectives and insights to the tasks of our

collective future

Reach all students with knowledge that empowers them to

engage the world positively

Rethink how higher education might reform itself in a globally

collaborative way

We are not attempting to do this alone


Partnership Typology

Partnerships can have many forms:

Student exchanges

Academic staff-to-academic staff collaboration

Teaching

Research

Joint/dual degree



Department-to-department

Institution-to-institution

Multinational consortia

Capacity building (Global North with Global South)

Connected to communities, organizations, businesses, and

national initiatives as well


University

Consortia

Bilateral:

Exchanges

And Research

UNIVERSITYLocal NGOs

Multilateral

Trilateral

Dual/Joint Degrees

Governments

Comprehensive

Partnerships

Joint PhD Advising

Research Centers

and Institutes Foundations

Partnership Typology: Increasing Diversity


International

Organizations

Corporations

And

Local Businesses


of Susan Buck Sutton Paper-only (signed agreements, no activity)

Dormant (once had activity, but no longer)

Lop-sided (imbalanced, sometimes in exploitative way)

Enabling (capacity-building for one or both)

Transactional (exchange people, services, resources of

equivalent value)

Generative (combine resources, create platforms for mutual

growth)

Common Good (benefit the larger environment: communities,

nations, the world, and contribute to an emerging global system

of higher education)Christopher Medalis, PhD 6/5/19


Agreement signed 1985

Initial goal: promote scientific cooperation in research and teaching


Partnership Typology Institutional Example:

Technische Universität Darmstadt and Tongji University,

Shanghai


Activities added over time:

Travel and stipend grants for TUD students at Tongji

Study with internship stipends for TUD students at Tongji

Summer and Winter Schools for 15 doctoral students for 2 weeks, from/to

both universities

Residence grants for Tongji staff at TUD to explore future projects

Research grants for TUD academic staff at Tongji

Tongji Visiting Chair (semester) at TUD

Research assistant exchange for double degree programs


Partnership Typology Institutional Example:

Technische Universität Darmstadt and Tongji University,

Shanghai


Partnership began 2001

Initial goal: study abroad by U.S. students, begun by Foreign

Language Department and Latin American Studies


St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, USA and

Universidad de Concepcion, Chile


Activities added over time:

SCSU began to receive UdC students, waived tuition and housing

SCSU departments began to express interest to receive Chilean students

Research exchange trip in 2007: 13 SCSU departments

Academic staff exchange in 2008 and 2009

Multilateral partnership: 2 universities and local school district to teach

Spanish in 2010

Student internships begin 2012

Indigenous group visit from Chile to Minnesota in 2013

Recognized by IIE’s Heiskell Award for Internationalization in 2013


St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, USA and

Universidad de Concepcion, Chile

STRATEGIC Partnerships


Strategic Partnership Definition #1

„Strategic Partnerships are those which are multi-faceted and involve a wide range of academic and service learning activities.

They have initially been created as partnerships which have maturedand grown in size and completixty during their existence.

The strategic partnership institutions have developed deep and mutually beneficial relationships.“

St. Cloud State University International Vision Plan, 2011


Strategic Partnership Definition #2

“…a formal alliance between two or more higher education institutions developed through an intentional process whereby the partners share resources and leverage complementary strengths to achieve defined common objectives.

Strategic cooperation is tied to the strategic goals and objectives of an academic unit, college, or the university as a whole. It indicates a multi-dimensional engagement between the involved institutions and implies the joint undertaking of a diverse range of activities with the aim of the parties’ mutual benefit.”

Global Perspectives on Strategic International Partnerships,

Institute of International Education, 2016


Strategic Partnership Objectives

Institutionalization and continuity of partnership

Long-term view, commitment by both sides

Development of collaboration in teaching and learning

Expanded student exchange, double degree programs, job market

focus

Expanded research collaboration

To include young researchers, post-docs, additional fields

International visibility

Joint publications, increase citations (increases ranking of both),

expand to business and trade partners


TU Darmstadt + Tongji University, Shanghai and

St. Cloud State U. + Universidad de Concepcion

Global Partnership Trend: Less is More

Many universities are moving towards fewer but better partnerships:

Strategic Partnerships

Hundreds of MOUs no longer seen as something positive

Intentional and purposeful

Long-term and greater benefit


69%

15%

16%

Does your institution differentiate between strategic partnerships

and "normal" ones?

Yes I don't know No

80%

6% 14%

Has your institution established strategic partnerships?

Yes No In process

Strategic or Regular Partnership?IIE and FUB Survey, 2015


Strategic Partnership Survey ResultsIIE and FUB Survey, 2015

78% Strategic Partnerships are part of a larger

international plan or strategy

78% have a unit or person in charge of developing and

managing strategic partnerships

71% funded by internal allocations

53% funded by external grants

14% have a specific endowment

13% raise funds jointly with strategic partner

40% have a means of evaluation



Motivations for Institutions to Develop Strategic Partnerships

56% Additional opportunities for students

52% Additional opportunities for academics and researchers

46% Global positioning / reputation

40% Combining resources

39% Improve research quality

37% Increase research capacity

28% Build institutional capacity

23% Improve teaching quality

19% Improve funding possibilities



What Do Strategic Partnerships Offer?

Development of materials/projects that fit the special interests of each partner

Spark new research, teaching, and development projects, the kind that only come from sustained conversation

Enabling institution to make good on its promises and reputation

Establishing platforms that benefit several parts of the institution and grow over time

Build understanding and mutual responsibility that deepen over time


1. Benefits to the Institution


Enabling academic staff who know little about partner country

to become involved, thus changing what they do and teach

both on campus and abroad

Creating atmosphere that encourages and supports ALL

students in connecting with the partner

Enable students and faculty to learn about a country through

direct engagement with people from that country

Expand both institutions’ international teaching and research

capacity


2. Benefits to the Institution: Teaching and Learning


Building resources through sharing and collaboration

Not spreading institutional resources too thin

Sharing of costs and risks

Reduced transaction costs as the interaction becomes routine

Establish defined concentrations of activity that attract external

funding

Develop cross-national competencies for students’ careers


3. Benefits to the Institution: Financial

Strategic Partnerships Challenges

Selecting the right partnerHow to assess potential partners?

How to make goals and expectations clear?

CommunicationWith partner: must be frequent, reliable, and

systematic

With internal stakeholders: must prove value

Externally: need to demonstrate benefit to community, business, at national level


Strategic Partnerships Challenges

Resources

Time needed to identify, initiate, grow, and

manage

Ongoing search for external funding

Sustaining commitment by both partners

Change of leadership


What does a University Rector (President, Vice-

Chancellor) need in a good Strategic

Partnership Plan?

Alvaro Romo, General Secretary, International Association of

University Presidents

Developing a Strategic Partnership Plan


1. Develop a strategy

• Programmatic

• Administrative

2. Establish a university mission surrounding

internationalization

1. Maintain financial and staff support at the necessary

level



4. Establish clear coordination at the institutional level

5. Define decision-making roles and responsibilities

6. Utilize technology

7. Establish an agenda to be followed by the International Relations Office



8. Establish a strong and sound structure for the

management of international programs

9. Conduct periodic reviews

10. Examine the relationship between the university and

the community



Step 1. Take stock of how your current partnerships are being

managed

Step 2. Streamline existing procedures and remove obstacles

internally

Step 3. Establish effective policies and procedures externally

Step 4. Develop ongoing funding streams

Step 5. Have the right people involved

Developing a Strategic Partnership

Plan: Your Next Steps


Step 6. Decide on the right home at your institution

Step 7. Engage all stakeholders

Step 8. Create a partnerships task force/committee

Step 9. Begin communications and negotiations with

your potential strategic partners

Step 10. Launch!

Developing a Strategic Partnership

Plan: Your Next Steps



International Education Advisor, Consultant, and Expert

New York City, USA

[email protected]

www.linkedin.com/in/christophermedalis

KÖSZÖNÖM A FIGYELMET!


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/christophermedalis

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